MICROSOFT ASPIRE: DISCOVER MY CAREER

OPPORTUNITY: The Microsoft Aspire department within HR needed to connect with a group of short-tenured, early career employees within the engineering department who had markedly high rates of turnover. They wanted to create an event that would encourage curiosity and provide support for continued growth and development ​at Microsoft in order to gain higher retention rates. The event had yet to be named or planned and there was a tight deadline and strict brand guidelines. They needed a name, a brand, and something to generate excitement and interest, while driving registration.

APPROACH: To create an experience, rather than just another event, we generated excitement through a pre-event which took place a week beforehand. Realizing that food was one of the best incentives to entice the busy and typically shy employees from their desks, we created Teams and email invitations to free ice cream sandwiches in the parking lot outside their buildings where the Aspire team then engaged them in conversation and passed out tee shirts and invitations. For the event itself, we created posters, emails, and an evergreen video which would be used to help drive future engagement with Aspire.

RESPONSE: The event drew in over 200 new employees, which the Aspire team felt was hugely successful. The video has become an evergreen marketing tool, attracting more employees and engaging them in deeper conversations about their future at Microsoft.

MY ROLES: Branding, collateral design, experiential marketing, video creative direction | Designed while employed at Electric Pen